Chapter 42: New Features Are Gradually Unlocked

Chapter 42: New Features Are Gradually Unlocked

Tick—

The black clock hands, at this moment, moved from position 1 to position 2.

Everything sank into darkness at this moment, as if diving into a bottomless sea crevice.

The pain had receded.

The wounds were also soothed.

Everything that had happened began to return to zero.

Until clarity was restored, until consciousness returned, opening his eyes and witnessing the city where he was standing at that moment.

A silent city, devoid of any life, a dead city.

"Second round, finally made it to the third day."

Takahashi Takakai took a deep breath, then gently slapped his cheek with his hand, shaking his head, trying to dispel the mental fatigue.

It had truly been difficult.

Green, who had been quite reliable in the first round, had done something foolish in the second round and nearly killed the whole team.

Maeda Miwa, a veteran player, intentionally hid and waited for benefits, a master of deception.

Old Guo was the worst kind of scoundrel among scoundrels; his time acceleration on the first day had been enough to give people a headache, and yet the following evening, he used another method to bother the other players. Furthermore, this guy had so many lifesaving items in his possession, it took a lot of effort to finally deal with him.

What would happen if time reversed again?

Kaguya and Maki would forget me, Maki... wouldn't remember anything about what had happened between us, whether it was escaping together in the first round, or her letting me rest my head on her thigh and the first kiss in the second round, she wouldn't remember...

It really felt regretful.

If I had to do the third round again, I don't think I could stand the feeling of being forgotten. The feeling that we had built a good relationship, but the other person didn't remember anything, truly makes it hard for one's mood to remain comfortable.

What should I do then?

Standing in the middle of this quiet city, Takahashi Takakai silently pondered over what he should do when the next round began, mentally mapping out different paths. Then, he realized he was exhausted, and no matter what, the traps he had fallen into in the previous two rounds would likely have to be crossed again. Whether it was the steps to gain trust, or the exploration of level 1, the things he had already gone through would need to be done over again. All of this was deeply frustrating.

Ding!

The bell rang at this moment.

Takahashi Takakai raised his head and looked toward the large bell tower in the city.

Then, he squinted slightly, looking at the sky with some surprise.

Something was falling from the sky.

From vague to clear, just in a few short seconds.

Takahashi Takakai saw clearly the shapes of those things.

A soaked rescue team badge.

A surgical knife as sharp.

A bright red fabric doll.

A human head with its skin peeled off.

A puppet made from a living person.

A total of five Obsession items fell from the sky, circling Takahashi Takakai twice before flying directly toward his left hand.

Takahashi Takakai saw the black clock on his left hand suddenly crack with a dark fissure, sucking all those objects in, then slowly closing again.

Immediately, Takahashi Takakai realized what had happened.

All the Obsession items that had been stained with his blood would be taken by the black clock once it activated its ability to reverse time. The clock would absorb them and turn them into Takahashi Takakai's possessions, making him immediately own these items upon returning.

The girl pretending to be a useless new player, along with the items that Old Guo had used, everything that had directly touched him had been retrieved. Even though he was severely burned at that time, his flesh torn and covered in wounds, when he came into contact with these Obsession items, it was unavoidable that his blood stained them. The only item that couldn't be retrieved was Old Guo's blood key, but that couldn't be helped, as he had been taken by the teammates summoned from the rescue team badge.

Ding!!

The bell rang for the second time.

Takahashi Takakai knew that, in this life, he had 10 chances to start over.

"The next round will be the decisive one."

Taking a deep breath, Takahashi Takakai's gaze became resolute.

Although the secret in the Shirakawa apartment had not yet been fully revealed, the clues from all directions had nearly gathered completely, with only a few key things remaining.

The status of the players who had entered the Shirakawa apartment had been clarified. These individuals, though strange in their own ways, were so peculiar that even Sun Dajun seemed somewhat cute. However, Takahashi Takakai had already experienced all their tricks.

It was time to end everything.

Clang!

The third bell rang.

The blood-red city slowly began to fade away.

Everything around him began to return to darkness.

Takahashi Takakai stood in place, waiting for the moment the time reversal process would complete.

But just then, he suddenly felt a strange sensation from his arm, as if something was pulling his left hand toward someone.

This feeling was hard to put into words.

He suddenly remembered everything he had experienced with Shijo Maki—from the time they were in the dark room, writing on each other's hands, to when she was injured and he had to carry her while running through the chaotic third floor, to their conversations in the second round, when she hummed a little tune and smiled proudly while bringing him a bowl of noodles, and finally, the moment when he lay in her arms, the kiss he could not feel.

These memories, for Takahashi Takakai, who had endured two rounds of life and death in the Shirakawa apartment, were incredibly important. Without the presence of this girl, he thought it would have been difficult for him to push himself forward, to collect as many clues, and to accomplish so much.

Yes, those were memories that could not be forgotten.

If possible, he hoped he would never have to forget them.

He reached out his hand, following the direction those warm memories were guiding him.

In the haziness, Takahashi Takakai felt as if he had grasped someone's hand, a small girl's hand, but one full of spirit and pride.

Click—

The black clock hand on his wrist suddenly moved from number 2 to number 3. As if fulfilling someone's wish, it spent some of its own power to do so. However, this time, the sound was so small that Takahashi Takakai, lost in his memories, didn't even notice.

Immediately after, the darkness before his eyes completely disappeared, replaced by the familiar structure of room 204.

Yes, of course, there was also the scent of shampoo from Shinomiya Kaguya beside him, but that didn't matter much; after all, Shijo Maki's scent was even more pleasant. To Takahashi Takakai now, compared to the always cold Kaguya, it was still the cute angel Maki who was more lovable. Yes, that's right, Takahashi Takakai had liked Shijo Maki since before he was born.

Ah, of course, it's not that Kaguya isn't trustworthy. During the first-floor exploration, she was very reliable in offering help. It's just that Takahashi Takakai is not the student council president Shirogane, and now he doesn't have a full year to slowly melt that iceberg, so the emotional relationship might have to be put on hold for now.

"Hello, I'm Takahashi Takakai, you could say I'm an old player who's participated in the game twice. And you, you're a new player, right?"

Getting out of bed, Takahashi Takakai took a few steps back, then turned to look at Kaguya Shinomiya, who was sitting on the bed with a wary expression. He smiled and spoke, his face giving no hint of vulnerability, completely different from the reaction in the second round.

"You..."

Shinomiya Kaguya was slightly confused, warily looking at Takahashi Takakai and the room, not fully understanding the situation. She sat still on the bed, making no move.

"I know you're really confused right now, but anyway, here's the rulebook. Although it might not be entirely accurate, it's still worth a look. You can check it out first. The rest, we'll talk about after we go outside. Each round of the sacrifice game has a set number of players, so after gathering with the others, we'll think about how to proceed."

Takahashi Takakai gestured toward the rulebook on the nightstand, glanced over it, then turned and walked out into the living room. He took the wall clock with him, headed to the front door, opened it, and stepped into the hallway.

It was still the familiar second-floor hallway, so familiar that it felt almost ingrained in Takahashi Takakai's DNA.

Sun Dajun stood in the hallway with a panicked look, looking around nervously. Green stood there with a neutral expression, leaning against the door and observing the people coming out. Just as Takahashi Takakai stepped out, their eyes met. Takahashi Takakai smiled friendly, causing Green to freeze for a moment. The black guy was trying to communicate with Sun Dajun.

Old Guo hadn't come out?

Had the strange clock taken his Obsession, causing him to hesitate to step outside?

While Takahashi Takakai was still pondering the situation, the door to room 208 slowly opened.

Shijo Maki, with a dazed expression, carefully holding the wall clock, stepped out from the room and immediately fixed her gaze on Takahashi Takakai.

"Hello there."

Seeing the girl he was so familiar with, Takahashi Takakai slightly furrowed his brows but ultimately controlled his expression and smiled back at Maki.

"Kai-kun, are... are you okay? Are you alright?"

Maki's surprised words completely stunned Takahashi Takakai.

Are you okay?

She asked if I'm okay?

Wait, she's using the same way of addressing me from the second round?!

"You still remember... You really remember?"

This shocking realization made it impossible for Takahashi Takakai to control his expression. For a moment, the look on his face caused those around him in the hallway to be equally surprised.